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Unsupervised Dog Thought to be Responsible for Injury to Swan

Following a call to the ISPCA Helpline, Inspector Lisa O'Donovan responded to an urgent call regarding a seriously injured swan in East Cork. On arrival she found a lone swan at the side of the river which was clearly injured with its left side being covered in blood.

Having safely retrieved the swan, Inspector O’Donovan brought it to the local wildlife veterinary hospital where it was examined. Staff at the hospital were appalled by the severity of the wound. The wing had been so badly damaged that it was beyond repair and there was the presence of a deep rooted infection. After careful consideration, it was decided that euthanasia was the kindest option for this suffering noble bird.

"We suspect that this injury was inflicted by a dog attack” said Inspector O’Donovan. “Unfortunately, many dogs are allowed to roam free in public places. We would appeal to the public to keep control of their dogs especially in areas where there is wildlife present”.